Succubus Blues CHAPTER 22

â€Å"You faked it†¦ faked being affected by me,† I realized, shock making my words come out thick and faltering. Still chuckling, he took a step toward me, and I cringed, frantically trying to find a way to run, to get out of my own apartment. What had moments ago seemed safe and inviting now became close and stifling. My apartment was too small, the door too far away. I couldn't breathe. The amusement on Roman's face shifted to astonishment. â€Å"What's the matter? What are you afraid of?† â€Å"What do you think I'm afraid of?† He blinked. â€Å"Me?† â€Å"Yes, you. You kill immortals.† â€Å"Well, yeah,† he admitted, â€Å"but I'd never hurt you. Never. You know that, don't you?† I didn't answer. â€Å"Don't you?† I backed up farther, not that I had anywhere to go. I was faced in such a way as to only keep moving toward my bedroom, not toward the front door. That wasn't likely to do any good. Roman still seemed floored at my reaction. â€Å"Come on, I can't believe this. I would never do anything to you. I'm half in love with you. Hell, do you know what a wrench you've already thrown into this operation?† â€Å"Me? What have I done?† â€Å"What have you done? You've wrapped my heart around your little finger, that's what you've done. That day†¦ when you solicited me at the bookstore? I couldn't believe my luck. I'd been watching you all week, you know, trying to learn your habits. Christ, I'll never forget the first day I saw you. How feisty you where. How beautiful. I would have gone to the ends of the earth for you right then and there. And later†¦ when you wouldn't go out with me after the signing? I couldn't believe it. You were originally going to be my first target, you know. But I couldn't do it. Not after I'd talked to you. Not after I'd realized what you are.† I swallowed, curious in spite of myself. â€Å"What – what am I?† He took a step toward me, a rueful half-smile on his handsome face. â€Å"A succubus who doesn't want to be a succubus. A succubus who wants to be human.† â€Å"No, that's not true†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Of course it is. You're like me. You don't play by the rules. You're tired of the system. You don't let them push you into the role they've dictated for you. God, I couldn't believe it, watching you. The more you seemed interested in me, the more you tried to back off. You think that's normal for a succubus? It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen – not to mention the most frustrating. That's why I finally decided to call you out today. I couldn't decide if you'd really cut me off for my own good or were just interested in someone else now – like Mortensen.† â€Å"Wait – that's why you arranged that stupid little game today? For your own fucking ego gratification?† Roman shrugged haplessly, still looking self-satisfied. â€Å"It sounds so shallow when you put it like that. I mean, okay, it was pretty stupid. And maybe a little childish. But I had to know where your affection stood. You can't imagine how touching it was to see you so worried about me – not to mention the fact that you checked on me first. That was the real kicker: I got priority over the others.† I almost protested that I'd actually worried about Seth first, having only called Roman beforehand because I thought Seth was already accounted for. Fortunately, I had enough sense to keep my mouth shut on that issue. Better to let Roman think he'd proven his point. â€Å"You have issues,† I said instead, perhaps unwisely. â€Å"Making me jump through hoops like that. Me and the other immortals.† â€Å"Perhaps. And I am sorry for any discomfort I caused you, but as for the others?† He shook his head. â€Å"It's good for them. They need it, Georgina. I mean, doesn't it piss you off? What they've done to you? You're obviously not happy with your lot, but do you think the folks in charge are going to let you change things? No. No more than they're going to give me or my kind a break. The system is flawed. They're locked in their fucking ‘this is good' and ‘this is evil' mentality. No gray area. No mutability. That's why I go around and do what I do. They need the wake-up call. They need to know they aren't the be all and end all of sin and salvation. Some of us are still fighting.† â€Å"Go around†¦ How often do you do this? This killing thing?† â€Å"Oh, not that often. Every twenty to fifty years or so. Sometimes a century. Doing it sort of cleanses me for a while, and then, over the years, I'll start getting pissed off at the whole system again and stake out a new place, a new set of immortals.† â€Å"Is it always the same pattern?† I remembered Jerome's symbols. â€Å"The warning phase†¦ then the main attack phase?† Roman brightened. â€Å"Well, well, haven't you done your homework. Yes, it usually works that way. Take out a few lesser immortals first. They're easy targets, even if I always feel a little guilty about it. Really, they're as much victims of the system as you and I are. Still, messing with them freaks out the higher immortals, and then the stage is set to move on to the main attraction.† â€Å"Jerome,† I stated grimly. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Jerome†¦ the local archdemon.† I hesitated. â€Å"Your father.† â€Å"Oh. Him.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean? You don't sound like he's a big deal.† â€Å"In the grand scheme of things, he's not.† â€Å"Yeah†¦ but he's your father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So? Our relationship – or lack thereof – doesn't really change anything.† Jerome had said almost the exact same thing about Roman. Baffled, I sat down on the arm of a nearby chair since it appeared my imminent destruction wasn't quite so imminent after all. â€Å"But isn't he†¦ isn't he the ‘real target' – the higher immortal you're here to kill?† Roman shook his head, face turning serious. â€Å"No. That's not how the pattern works. After I move on from the lesser immortals, I focus in on the local bigwig. The real powerhouse in the area. That tends to unsettle people more. Better psychological effect, you know? If I can take out the big man on campus, then they worry no one is safe.† â€Å"So, that would be Jerome.† â€Å"No, it's not,† he countered patiently. † Archdemonor no, my illustrious father is not the ultimate power source around here. Don't get me wrong; I'm getting a nice bit of satisfaction from pissing in his territory, so to speak, but there's someone else who dwarfs him. You probably don't know him. It's not like you'd have reason to hang out with him or anything.† Stronger than Jerome? That only left – â€Å"Carter. You're going after Carter.† â€Å"Is that his name? The local angel?† â€Å"He's stronger than Jerome?† â€Å"Considerably.† Roman gave me a curious look. â€Å"Do you know him?† â€Å"I†¦ know of him,† I lied. â€Å"Like you said, I don't hang out with him or anything.† In reality, my mind raced. Carter was the target? Mild, sardonic Carter? I could hardly believe he was more powerful than Jerome, but then, I knew almost nothing about him. I didn't even know what he did, what his job or mission in Seattle was. Yet, one thing that was obvious to me – and only me, apparently – was that if the angel really did outclass Jerome, then Roman couldn't do anything to him, not if the rule about nephilim power not exceeding parental power held true. Roman shouldn't technically be able to harm either angel or demon. I chose not to mention this to him, however – or the fact that I knew Carter better than Roman believed. The more delusional he was, the more of a chance we had to do something about him. â€Å"Good. I didn't really figure a succubus would be too friendly with an angel, but with you, it's hard to tell. You may have a sharp tongue, but you still manage to gather a lot of admirers.† Relaxing slightly, Roman leaned against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest. â€Å"God knows I've already gone out of my way to avoid your friends.† Anger helped me overcome my fear. â€Å"Oh really? What about Hugh?† â€Å"Which one's he?† â€Å"The imp.† â€Å"Ah, yes. Well, I had to keep setting an example, didn't I? So, yeah, I messed with him a little. He'd been impertinent to you. But I didn't kill him.† He looked at me in what I supposed was meant to be an encouraging type of way. â€Å"That was for your benefit.† I stayed silent. I recalled how Hugh had looked in the hospital. Impertinent? â€Å"And what about the others?† he pushed. â€Å"That annoying angel? The vampire that threatened you? I wanted to break his neck on the spot. I got rid of them for you. I didn't have to do that.† I felt ill. I wanted no deaths on my hands. â€Å"Most considerate of you.† â€Å"Come on, give me a break here. I had to do something, and really, once I'd met your vampire friend at the dance lesson, I couldn't bring myself to do anything to him at all. You put me in a really tight spot. I was running out of victims.† â€Å"Sorry for the inconvenience,† I snapped, ire rising at his pathetic show of compassion. â€Å"Is that why you took it easy on me that night?† He frowned. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"You know what I mean!† Thinking back to my attack, it all made perfect sense. It had occurred after I'd been to Krystal Starz, the day after I'd run out on Roman at the concert. A perfect excuse for him to be angry and seek retaliation. â€Å"Remember? The day after Doug's concert? After I'd been with Seth?† Understanding washed over Roman's features. â€Å"Oh. That.† â€Å"That's all you have to say?† â€Å"It was a bit juvenile, I admit, but you can hardly blame me. It wasn't easy watching you cozy up to Mortensen after freaking out on me like that. I'd watched you go home with him the night before. I had to do something.† I sprang up from my seat, old apprehension returning. â€Å"You had to do something? Like beat the crap out of me in an alley?† Roman raised an eyebrow. â€Å"What are you talking about? I told you I would never hurt you.† â€Å"Then what are you talking about?† â€Å"I'm talking about that ice cream place. I'd followed you two around earlier in the day, and when I saw how cute you were getting over dessert, I got jealous and blew the door open. Juvenile, as I said.† â€Å"I remember that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off stupidly, recalling how the door had blown open at the parlor, letting the outside wind wreak havoc in the small store. Wind like that was certainly uncharacteristic here, yet I had never suspected supernatural influence. He was right; it had been juvenile. â€Å"So what's the alley thing you're talking about?† he prompted. I snapped out of my memory. â€Å"Later†¦ that night. I'd been running errands, and you†¦ or someone†¦ attacked me on the way home.† Roman's face turned cold, his eyes sharpening to aqua steel. â€Å"Tell me. Tell me everything. Exactly what happened.† I did, explaining my lead to the Harrington book, subsequent trip to Krystal Starz, and walk home in the dark. I edited the part about my rescuer, however. I didn't want Roman to know I had more than a casual acquaintance with Carter, lest the nephilim think I might be a deterrent to his plans. The more he thought I had no interest in the angel, the more likely I would be able to get out some kind of warning. Closing his eyes, Roman leaned his head against the wall when I finished, sighing. Suddenly, he looked less like a dangerous killer and more like a tired version of the man I'd come to know and nearly love. â€Å"I knew it. I knew noninterference was too much to ask.† â€Å"What†¦ what do you mean?† A strange feeling crawled down my spine. â€Å"Nothing. Forget it. Look, I'm sorry about that. I should have taken precautions beforehand to protect you. I knew too†¦ the next day? When I came by and you cut things off between us? I could tell you had been hurt, even through your shape-shifting. I could tell it was supernaturally inflicted too, but I never suspected†¦ I thought it was some other immortal – one of your own circle – you'd tangled with. You had sort of a residual effect on you†¦ the faint traces of someone else's power†¦ like a demon's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But that's not – oh. You mean Jerome.† â€Å"Daddy dearest again? Don't tell me†¦ don't tell me he did something to you too.† Roman's brief lapse into mildness faded, replaced by something more sinister. â€Å"No, no,† I said hastily, recalling Jerome's psychic slap, pinning me to the couch. â€Å"It wasn't like that. It was more of a show of power that I caught the edge of. He wasn't the one who hurt me. He'd never hurt me.† â€Å"Good. I'm still not happy about what happened in the alley, mind you, but I'll have a little chat with the guilty party and make sure it never happens again. When I saw you that day, I had half a mind to take out all the immortals in the area. The thought of someone hurting you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Closer and closer he came to me. Hesitantly, he squeezed my arm. I didn't know whether to recoil or reach out to him. I didn't know how to reconcile my old attraction with this new terror. â€Å"You have no idea how much I care about you, Georgina.† â€Å"Then how†¦ in the alley – â€Å" Before I could follow that thought to completion, another suddenly poked its head up at Roman's words. When I saw you that day. He had visited me the day after the attack, coming over while Carter investigated a nephilim signature. But that was impossible. I couldn't remember where that particular signature had occurred, but it had not been close by. Roman could not have flashed Carter and then made it over to my apartment so quickly. Iknew noninterference was too much to ask for. I'll have a little chat with the guilty party. I understood then why Roman felt he could take on Carter, why having less power than the angel would pose no concern. The realization sank into me like lead, heavy and cold. I'm not sure what look crossed my face, but Roman's suddenly softened with compassion. â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"How many?† I whispered to him. â€Å"How many what?† â€Å"How many nephilim are in the city?†

Description Paper on Gustav Klimt

DESCRIPTION PAPER: ART INTO TEXT The purpose of this short paper is to hone your abilities in using words to describe and understand the physical qualities of a work of art. By writing about art, you will take on the responsibility of examining it closely, organizing your perceptions and thoughts about it, and conveying in text an organized and clear summary of your visual analysis. First, choose a work to examine. There is no limit to which work you may choose, except that it must date from within our time period (the year 1400 of the common era to the present).If you have concerns about your choice, consult the professor. Please do not choose a work that has been discussed extensively in class or in the textbook. You may choose a work that you can see first-hand in Hong Kong (at for instance the Hong Kong Museum of Art or the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, or a work of public sculpture). If you opt to do this, please identify where the object resides in your paper. If you desire to cho ose a work from the West or other places not immediately accessible, please find and utilize many reproductions of it, from as many different angles as possible, and with different levels of detail.Please attach relevant images to the end of your paper (do not include them in the text). After choosing the work, you will then spend considerable time examining it (no less than 30 minutes is recommended). Then, take notes on what you see. Describe the media, principles of design and visual elements that you find in the work. Think about how line, volume, scale, balance, and/or visual rhythm are used in the work, if appropriate. Pay attention to as much of the surface of the work as you can see.Do physical features of the work suggest the purpose of its creation, the meaning it is trying to communicate, or its use or original physical context? What can you infer about the culture that made this object from its physical features? Finally, compose a 2 to 4 page (double spaced, with regula r fonts and margins) essay summarizing your findings. The bulk of the paper should be a well-organized description and formal analysis. You should organize this part of the paper logically, i. e. there should be an order to your description and analysis.Then, taking the features and relationships in the work that you find most compelling and important, assess its cultural meaning and/or significance based upon your observations. This should be your conclusion. Do not conduct research for this assignment. The focus here should be on honing your observational skills. You will be graded on clarity of writing and word choice (25%), organization (25%), thoroughness of observation (25%), and the plausibility of your conclusions based on evidence at hand (25%). Paper due in class on Monday, September 24, 2012. Penalties for not following instructions:Does not meet the page minimum: dropped a letter grade. Fonts and/or margins are oversized in order to meet page minimum: dropped five points . Illustrations are within the text rather than appended to the end: dropped a letter grade. Work chosen has been discussed in book or class extensively: dropped a letter grade. Research has been conducted: dropped two letter grades. Plagiary: automatic zero. Reuse of previously submitted material: automatic zero. Work is not within specified time period: dropped five points. Excessive redundancy/use of â€Å"filler†: points subtracted from thoroughness score.Farris’s rules of good formal nonfiction writing: Avoid use of first and second person pronouns (I, you, we, us). Avoid passive voice. Avoid redundancies, both in word use and content. Be sure of the meaning of a word before making use of it. Simplify phrasing in order to be direct about what you want to convey. Organize your thoughts before starting to write. When not writing dialogue, paragraphs must be at least three sentences long. Sentences in a paragraph should address a single subject. Avoid starting a sent ence with a conjunction. Avoid contractions. Omit unnecessary words. Assess evidence, not subjective reaction.

Beowulf, the Tragic Hero

Beowulf, the Tragic Hero In the epic poem â€Å"Beowulf† the protagonist, Beowulf, portrays a tragic hero in a variety of ways. Although Beowulf was not a perfect being, he embraces many characteristics of a tragic hero. Beowulf’s ego put him into many difficult situations. For example the battles he fought against Grendel, Grendels Mother, and the dragon. Other then his enormous ego along with his cockiness that put him into bad situations, he also embraced the characteristics of a great leader that many looked up to.In many parts of the poem Beowulf performs many courageous tasks that no one else would even try, making him one that should be idolized. To start off, Beowulf plans out his battle with Grendel. In the very beginning Beowulf tells his people and Hrothgar that he wants to battle and kill Grendel with his owns hands. This part shows his over confident ego because he thinks he is so mighty and strong. While Grendel made his way to attack Herot, Beowulf preten ded that he was asleep just as Grendel would see.As it says in lines (739-746) Grendel snatched at the first Geat†¦ (Line745) He then stepped to another still body, clutched at Beowulf with his claws. Beowulf suddenly leaned up against Grendel’s arm attempting to get back at him. Grendel was very fearful and at that very moment he didn’t even want to kill, he wanted to get away. Grendel struggled until he was free, but he ran free without his arm. Beowulf ego once again ties into this because he claims that it was â€Å"fate† that he got away and was not his fault. On the other hand, Beowulf went out of his way to protect Hrothgar and his people when no one else would stand up.The second instance where Beowulf finds himself in another situation is when Grendel’s Mother demands to avenge the death of her son. She then decides to kill one of Hrothgars men, who so happens to be Esher, his dearest advisor. After finding out that he had been killed, Hroth gar had summoned Beowulf asking for help once more. Beowulf agrees and battles her at her wretched home. In this confrontation Beowulf decides yet once again to be on his own and defeat the nasty old hag. With one slash of his sword he gets rid of her and is repeatedly praised for his courageous actions. As mentioned reviously, Beowulf always put people before himself, which embraced his characteristics of a tragic hero. Last but not least, Beowulf battles the dragon. It began with a slave that had stolen a golden cup from the dragon’s lair. For the final time, Beowulf’s over confident ego ties into it one final time. We know at this point in time, that Beowulf is at an old age and is becoming weak. Therefore, he insists to fight the dragon by himself. Beowulf’s decision to fight alone is a reoccurring action, if you can not tell. Ultimately the dragon begins to beat Beowulf; his haughty attitude does not comply with his initial strength.At this moment in time, it leads to Beowulf’s downfall with his final attempt at battle. As he dies he finds the strength to slay the dragon hoping to save his people, one last time. With the death of Beowulf he achieves the fame he has always longed for. Beowulf’s courageous and brave actions along with his tragic death prove that he is a true hero. The events of this epic poem conclude that even heroes too are acceptable to tragedies. Although Beowulf was not perfect, he without a doubt portrayed the definition of a tragic hero.

Self Introduction Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Self Introduction Issues - Essay Example I am a deep writer, preferring complex and interconnected topics than straightforward concepts. At the moment, I can say I have been writing for two years. In some cases, especially creative writing, I write papers that are longer than expected because I have â€Å"a lot to talk about.†My personal philosophy on writing is that it is a medium of communication; what I cannot relay verbally I put down. I also believe that writing is part of history. Consequently, by documenting what I experience and think, I leave a historical legacy that others can be inspired by. I hate the ambiguity that sometimes creeps into writing (Widdows 26). Over the years, I have accepted that it is a part of writing that cannot be avoided, but I hate that it hinders my prolificacy. What I like about writing is the appreciation people show for the thoughts and feelings that I put out. The first quote in the book feels true for me; the rest seem to contradict my experiences with – or opinions of à ¢â‚¬â€œ writing.

Homework Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homework - Case Study Example A pivot table can then break down the numbers to show the amount sold by each employee. Then, it could even go further and break those numbers down by cities. So you would know which employee made the most number of sales, in which city the most number of sales were made, and which singular employee made the most number of sales in just one city. Data from the pivot table could then be used to allocate funds and estimate future sales based on the data from the pivot table. Comparisons could then be made across previous time periods and a comparison could be made to show the trends of certain employees or locations. Changes could then be made based off this data by either firing an employee or stop selling products in a city that is underperforming. 1- Because they are amazing tools used to quickly explore and manipulate data from a spreadsheet. A pivot table uses existing data and allows users to sort that data by any field they choose. The user can select which fields they would like to be displayed and whether it should be a column or a row header. That table can then be manipulated by integrating formulas into the table to quickly get inventory counts, cost percentages, sales commissions, regional growth, or anything else you need to determine. Using pivot tables to explore crosstab data is much easier than searching through spreadsheets, pulling out the pertinent data, then creating a new spreadsheet with the data necessary. Pivot tables make analyzing large quantities of data a user-friendly experience. You can actually create a pivot table in as few as 10 mouse clicks! You are correct in that using a pivot table can significantly reduce the time it takes to analyze data. All it needs is for just a few spaces to be filled in and the pivot table will display all the information you need in a nice and easy format. You might want to mention though that the use of pivot tables is not simply reduced to business-related activities but can

The Process of Restructuring Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Process of Restructuring Business - Essay Example The several buyout funds that were interested in outright acquiring the firm would surely ensure a healthy payout to the shareholders however if these were sufficient to restructure the firm was unclear. Also, they would restrict the role of the founders. This led to a second option which was to attain leveraged recapitalization, as suggested by investment bankers. The downside of this option was the large scale of indebtedness and transactional complexity. This leads us to the most viable option for Fojtasek suggested in shape of a hybrid transaction by a private equity group from Boston, Heritage Partners; with the agreement leading to lower debt levels, control for the family, and majority ownership for existing shareholders. In July 1995, Randall Fojtasek—in partnership with Heritage Partners—undertook a considerable restructuring. The first step in this process of restructuring was acquiring Bishop Manufacturing, a vinyl window manufacturer in Northeast. This was seventeen months later sold to Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst, a private equity firm in the United States that specializes in leveraged buyouts. At a 45% premium to the original purchase price the shareholder’s profited from the transaction and a small amount was reinvested into the firm. Heritage partners, also known as, Partners International (HPI) is a senior-level executive search and consulting firm that focuses on delivering superior work to a select group of clients globally in the life sciences industry. During the undertaking of the transaction, they were concentrating their efforts in raising follow-on funds of about 300 $ million. They were successful in their efforts and raised the amount from a variety of institutional investors such as Brinson Partners, the General Motors Investment Management Company, and the private equity arm of the Princeton endowment, Nassau Capital. It appears that Randall Fojtasek in the late 90’s had overcome the dilemma regarding the company he had faced in 95. Not only had he managed to remain CEO of the firm, now renamed to Atrium Companies but had also managed to retain a large equity stake in the firm.

The use of cigarettes as an accessory in fashion images Essay

The use of cigarettes as an accessory in fashion images - Essay Example The essay "The use of cigarettes as an accessory in fashion images" discusses the use of cigarettes in the images of fashion. This was done through the clever slogans that were used such as â€Å"There are many reasons to smoke now,† â€Å"We make Virginia Slims especially for women because they are biologically superior to men† and â€Å"You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.† It was also done through the use of glamorous-looking women and Hollywood stars seen smoking in the advertisements and in newsreels or films. Women wanting to associate themselves with these ideas of desirability, independence or needed a means of gaining better control over their emotions would take to smoking because they were mimicking the activities of the famous people they see through these media representations. To see how this works, it is helpful to examine how cigarettes have appeared in non-cigarette-related advertising and reinforced these ideas. Cigarettes started appearing in a dvertisements early on as a means of emphasizing the self-reliance and desirability of the female individual. Several examples of this can be found in the images collected in Farid Chenoune’s collection of lingerie images Hidden Femininity. One such example is the following image taken in the early 1900s. This black and white vintage photograph depicts a curvaceous woman in a lacy black teddy with high-cut ‘French’ style legs and a low-cut front that blouses mostly open over her chest. This cut emphasizes the curve of her hips and suggests the curves of her breasts.